God's Perfect, Eternal plan of Redemption

                                        "The plan of redemption was an eternal plan
                                          of God, and which plan and which design
                                          was perfectly conceived and perfectly executed."
                                                                                 R.C. Sproul


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          God, being omniscient, knew that man would fall, and would need to be
     redeemed to be right with Him again. 

          This plan of God, to send His Son to pay for the sins of His people, was
     conceived before the foundation of the world.

          No person or thing could keep it from being accomplished according to
     God's purpose.


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          GOD PREDESTINED THE REDEMPTION, SALVATION, AND ADOPTION
          OF HIS CHILDREN, BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD !   
         
    
                                               "For He chose us in Him (Christ)
                                                before the creation of the world
                                                to be holy and blameless in His
                                                sight.

                                                In love He predestined us to be
                                                adopted as His sons through Jesus
                                                Christ, in accordance with His
                                                pleasure and will - to the praise of
                                                His glorious grace, which He has
                                                freely given us in the One He loved.

                                                In Him, we have redemption through
                                                His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

                                                In Him we were also chosen, having
                                                been predestined according to the plan
                                                of Him who works out everything in
                                                conformity with the purpose of His will,
                                                in order that we, who were the first to
                                                hope in Christ, might be for the praise of
                                                His glory.

                                                And you were also were included in Christ
                                                when you heard the word of truth, the
                                                gospel of your salvation.

                                                Having believed, you were marked in Him
                                                with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is
                                                a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until
                                                the redemption of those who are God's
                                                possession - to the praise of His glory."
                                                                                Ephesians 1:3-8,11-14


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          PROPHETS FORETOLD THE PLAN


                                               "But this is how God fulfilled what He had
                                                foretold through all the prophets, saying that
                                                His Christ would suffer.

                                                Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your
                                                sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing
                                                may come from the Lord, and that He  may send
                                                the Christ, who has been appointed for you - even
                                                Jesus.

                                                He must remain in heaven until the time comes for
                                                God to restore everything, as He promised long ago
                                                through His holy prophets."
                                                                                           Acts 3:18-21



               GOD SENT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD AS A HUMAN


                     The angel explained to Joseph how Mary had conceived through the power
          of the Holy Spirit, and that she would give birth to a son, whose name would be
          Jesus,
                            "because He will save His people from their sins."
                                                                               Matthew 1:21


                     That is what Jesus came to do - save His people.

                     People from around the world would be redeemed because of Jesus'
          death and resurrection.



            GOD USED WICKED MEN TO FULFILL HIS PLAN

                                                 [Jesus said], 'I tell you the truth,
                                                 one of you is going to betray me."
                                                                             John 13:21b


           Judas, who betrayed Him, was "doomed to destruction,
                                                              so that Scripture would be fulfilled."
                                                                                  John 17:12

                                                
                                                 "This man (Jesus) was handed over to you
                                                   by God's set purpose and foreknowledge;
                                                   and you, with the help of wicked men,
                                                   put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross."
                                                                                      Acts 2:23


                                                 "Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together
                                                  with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this
                                                  city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus,
                                                  whom you (God) anointed.
                                                  They did what your power and will had decided
                                                   beforehand should happen."
                                                                                         Acts 4:27-28


           GOD'S PLAN WAS TO BE FULFILLED AT AN APPOINTED TIME
           (and not one minute earlier or later).  Jesus would sacrifice Himself to save
           His people.


                            Jesus warned His mother that His time had not yet come
          during the wedding they attended.

                                       
                                                 "My time has not yet come."
                                                                        John 2:4b


                           Jesus told His brothers that His time had not yet come for Him
         to reveal who He really was to the world.  The time to deliver a prophetic
         message from God had not arrived.


                                                "The right time for me has not yet come;
                                                  for you any time is right."

                                                " ... for me the right time has not yet come."
                                                                              John 7:6,8b


                           Jesus' enemies could not harm Him until the appointed time.


                                                 "At this they tried to seize Him, but no one
                                                  laid a hand on Him, because His time had
                                                  not yet come."
                                                                                      John 7:30


          JESUS KNEW WHEN THE APPOINTED TIME HAD COME FOR HIM
          TO DIE


                                                 "The time has come for the Son of Man
                                                   to be glorified.

                                                 "It was for this very reason (to die for sinners)
                                                   I came to this hour."
                                                                                     John 12:23,27b


                                                 "It was just before the Passover Feast.
                                                  Jesus knew that the time had come for
                                                  Him to leave this world and go to the
                                                  Father.

                                                  Having loved His own who were in the world,
                                                  He now showed them the full extent of His love."
                                                                                      John 13:1


          JESUS AND THE FATHER WOULD BOTH BE GLORIFIED BY HIS DEATH
          (and Jesus would give eternal life to those given to Him by the Father).
                              
                                                 "Father, the time has come.
                                                  Glorify your Son, that your
                                                  Son may glorify you.

                                                  For you have granted Him authority
                                                  over all people that He might give
                                                  eternal life to all those you have
                                                  given Him."
                                                                             John 17:1-2


            JESUS REVEALED THE FATHER TO THOSE GIVEN TO HIM
            (and they believed in Him), ACCORDING TO GOD'S PLAN.


                                                 "I have revealed you to those whom
                                                  you gave me out of the world.
                                                  They were yours; you gave them
                                                  to me and they have obeyed your word."
                                                                              John 17:6


                                                  "I have made you known to them,
                                                   and will continue to make you
                                                   known in order that the love you
                                                   have for me may be in them and
                                                   that I myself may be in them."
                                                                                   John 17:26
            

              JESUS CAME TO DELIVER THE GOSPEL


                           He told Pilate,
                                                  "for this reason I was born,
                                                    and for this I came into the
                                                    world, to testify to the truth.
                                                    Everyone on the side of truth
                                                    listens to  me."
                                                                                  John 18:37b


              JESUS DIED FOR THE SCATTERED CHILDREN OF GOD
              (to make them one).

                                                  [The high priest prophesied],
                                                  "that Jesus would die for the Jewish
                                                  nation, and not only for that nation
                                                  but also for the scattered children of God,
                                                  to bring them together and make them one."
                                                                                John 11:51b-52


            WITH HIS DEATH, JESUS ACCOMPLISHED HIS MISSION TO ATONE
            FOR HIS PEOPLE.


                                             " ... Jesus said, 'It is finished.'
                                               With that, He bowed His head
                                               and gave up His spirit."
                                                                                John 19:30


            THEN, THE RESURRECTION
             (Because He lives, we too will live - Romans 6:4).

                                            " ... God raised Him from the dead,
                                              freeing Him from the agony of death,
                                              because it was impossible for death
                                              to keep its hold on Him."
                                                                            Acts 2:24

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           ACCORDING TO HIS PLAN, GOD PRESENTED HIS SON AS A SACRIFICE
           OF ATONEMENT TO REDEEM HIS PEOPLE, AND  RECONCILE THEM TO
           HIMSELF.
  

                                              "God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement,
                                               through faith in His blood.  He did this to
                                               demonstrate His justice, because in His
                                               forbearance he had left the sins committed
                                               beforehand unpunished - He did it to demonstrate
                                               His justice at the present time, so as to be just
                                               and the one who justifies those who have faith
                                               in Jesus."
                                                                               Romans 3:25-26


          JESUS, AS THE ANGEL SAID, HAD COME TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE!


                                             " ... you are to give Him the name Jesus,
                                               because He will save His people from their sins."
                                                                              Matthew 1:21b


         ALL THIS WAS DONE ACCORDING TO GOD'S PERFECT, ETERNAL
         PLAN OF REDEMPTION!